I'm calling this an exclusive, I'm not sure it really is but I'd like to pretend. You know the saying every cloud has a silver lining? Well, Jake Watch's cloud has a big old triple-width, gilded, platinum, welded on by cherubs lining! From a minor case of copyright infringement to the offer of a Q&A with Mr Stephen Gyllenhaal! And who said crime doesn't pay?!
Cantara Christopher, Stephen's publisher, has assured me that Stephen is eager to make contact with his reading public and I'm pretty certain we're all more than eager to reciprocate this sentiment. So, for now, I'm "throwing the idea out there" to see what you all think. If you have a question for Stephen then please email me at britpopbaby@gmail.com. Along with your question please include your name, (doesn't have to be your entire real name, just something I can use for identification) and your location (again, approximately - if you reside in the US then give a state and it would also be nice to hear from people all over the world - I know peeps from Guam visit!). Stating your age is an option but it would be nice to see a range.
Obviously I can only put foward so many queries so please give it some careful thought. To reiterate, please email me the questions, DO NOT post them in the comments below. I found this interesting article on Stephen if anyone wants some detailed background information. READ ARTICLE.
P.S - Submit your questions ASAP. We have less than a week!
UPDATE:
To give you a little direction here are a few topics you might want to get your teeth into:
- Stephen's poetry, his influences and his motivation
- inquiries about Stephen's writing process or the creative method in general.
- Stephen's films - how he got his foot in the door, his favourite projects, his favourite films
- his education, his study of English literature, his Uni experience
- his other artistic interests - books, music (Cantara tells me Stephen plays viola and loves Eminem!)
- his family values, lessons he and his wife instilled in their children
- his personal beliefs and political concerns
- his advice to young people
You can read samples of Stephen's work HERE.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
All the questions people are asking have been great and very respectful. Some of them are very similar so I'm going to combine them and then list who asked the question. With this in mind, we're getting the chance to ask 10-20 questions so could people please limit their queries to just one each. I'm sorry to restrict you but I'm getting a bit bogged down with so many! I don't want to miss anyone out by forgetting who asked what. Thanks!
64 comments:
OMFG... is that amazing or what!!! Of course I can't come up with anything now, because of the exitement, LOL!
I think Katie of Sweden was asking something about ... a donation of some kind?
What an interesting article! I had no idea that S Gyllenhaal was brought up in a Swedenborgian community. It certainly goes against the common perception of the Gyllenhaals as being your typical "Hollywood Family". He sounds like a very interesting guy.
~J
OMG, we SO rock! Awesome!
I'm with beskydarren, can't think of anything intelligent to say right at the moment, LOL! When do you have to submit questions?
A great article!! Swedenborgians, sounds extremely interesting, maybe britpopbaby you could shine a little light on that for us, all in good taste of course! ;)
*apologizes for the cursing in the earlier post*
WOW! That is SO cool! I definitely have things I want to ask him! (And, no - it's not about Jake.)
Well, beskyddaren, isn't it time to move on? To like...forget about the past... please??!!! Cause I have tons of questions to poppa G and no one has to do with that kind a stuff!
:o)
Swedenborgians, sounds extremely interesting, maybe britpopbaby you could shine a little light on that for us
I have to go and research rare Scandinavian religions?! The things I do for you kids...;)
Questions submitted as soon as possible, please! Cantara is meeting up with Stephen next week!
I should probably put that in the main post.
Beskyddaren> ;)
A little something on Swedenborgianism or whateveh it's called would be do gooood
http://www.swedenborgianchurch.org/our_beliefs.htm
It appears to be a branch of Christianity.
How Swedenborgian are you? - http://selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=newchurch
re. Swedenborgians
have to go and research rare Scandinavian religions?! The things I do for you kids...;)
:D
The New Church (Swedenborgian) was actually founded in England in 1787, based on the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg (who was, you guessed it, a Swede). His writings became popular in America really early on and the General Church of the New Jerusalem was founded in the late 1700s in Pennyslvania - I guess this community is the one S. Gyllenhaal was born into.
~J
OMFG
that picture at
http://www.swedenborgianchurch.org
is really..."odd" :)
THanks britpop for posting
I did that quiz I just posted and it told me that the Swedenborgian faith might just be for me! Which is weird because I'm against any form of organised religion.
OK, so these questions should be *not* about Jake, right?? ;)
Haha, as I predicted when taking the test, "Swedenborgian might be for me". Interesting!
OK, so these questions should be *not* about Jake, right?? ;)
Right. Although I may reward a prize to whoever can fit him in in the most subtle manner...;)
This is really exciting. Must do my research before I can come up with any question ;)
Re: Swedenborgian
It never ceases to amaze me how much learning goes on in these comment sections. We are a rare breed of inquisitive Jake fans. :) But, yes! From the tragedy of near-disaster to an exclusive of utmost excitement!! Way to go, britpop!!
I did that quiz and it told me that the Swedenborgian faith might just be for me!
Katie of Sweden> ; ) Gotcha!!!
Thanks for the links!
"Find your heaven... through music, meditation and laughter"
Doesn't sound very scandinavian that, people happy and all!! ;)
I used to live near Trinity College. Cinestudio still exists and runs lots of off-beat films, foreign films, festivals of animated shorts, gay/lesbian films, you name it. It's no wonder Poppa G found a refuge there.
It's in a great old building, with a full size screen, an opulent curtain and a balcony. Going there is like going back in time
http://www.cinestudio.org/index2.htm
Sounds like an amazing place!
This is all I know about Swedenborgians: Henry James, Sr., the father of the novelist, belonged to that faith. His children did not approve of it or follow it in later life. So I guess I thought it was one of those 19th century American utopian things, like transcendentalism.
Britpopbaby:
Your idea is great but I need to read something S. Gyllenhaal has written before making an actual question. I'd like to ask about his work not his life. Where can I read something online? Do you happen to know about any site?
Hmm. No Jake questions. So no can I have his autograph. Man, I'll really have to think on this, then. ;)
How about can I adopt him?
(nevermind)
Hmmm a question for dad that's not about Jake... this is a toughy. So, Stephen, how proud of your son are you? Damnit! Messed up. Can I have do overs? Okay *ahem* "So Stephen, do you think Jake will get sexiest man alive next year?" Okay *sigh* ... I obviously need to work on this.
I've just posted a place to find a new poem and if you scroll through our archives you'll find 'Land of the Free'. I'll go searching for more...
Thank you Brit! I'll read the poem now and think about what to ask him.
Britpopbaby will sort of end up doing an interview a la the old Paris Review "Writers at Work" series.
Sample: "Mr. Gyllenhaal, do you eat anything in particular when writing? You know, like chips, or pickles. Perhaps dill."
Well, darn, thanks a lot! Now I can't use that one!
ROFLMAO!
Anon 11:05 said:
This is all I know about Swedenborgians: Henry James, Sr., the father of the novelist, belonged to that faith.
Yeah, Colm Toibin's 'The Master' (fictionalised biography of Henry James) goes into it quite a bit. I just think it's interesting that Jake's dad was brought up as a Swedenborgian, his mother is Jewish, and Jake studied Eastern religion - a real melting-pot of ideas and beliefs.
~J
I've been told that Stephen has left the Swedenborg church so it's not really relevant to him anymore.
:up: That's kinda interesting in itself though :) I mean, being a screenwriter in Hollywood is a long way from being a Swedenborgian in Pennsylvania. But perhaps he doesn't want to talk about that.
:up:
I mean, movie producer, not screenwriter. Duh.
I must confess, to my shame, J., what I recall best from "The Master" is not Henry James Sr.'s religious beliefs, but rather the evening Henry James Jr. shares a bed at a boarding house with handsome young Oliver Wendell Holmes. And also I'm never going to forget the image of poor Constance Fenimore Woolson's clothing floating in the water, refusing to sink. A fine book, and I wonder if it could ever be filmed.
'Jakewatch Exclusive' or not... please do not pose too booring questions... Cantara wants to sell his book and right now I think JakeWatch is way too involved (judging on the amount of text about it on the first page) in Stephen's marketing. Sorry. Had to say it.
Calling a poetry book something with 'Hollywood' makes me associate to free-riding on the Jake success wave there is at the moment. I think the Gyllenhaals knows how important the fans are, especially since the davecullen add after the oscars. And again: I won't buy the book!
Katie, I actually think you're wrong. Hollywood is not only the world of Jake, but of the entire Gyllenhaal family. They are all "in the business", and I really don't think Stephen Gyllenhaal needs to ride on his son's success. He's already *somebody* in Hollywood.
I'm usually not that interested in poetry (prefer prose), but some of the poems that britpop has linked to really got my attention and stuck with me. I would not have bought the book simply because it was written by Jake's father, but now I'm considering buying it because I'm curious about the rest of the poems.
katie of sweden said...
Cantara wants to sell his book and right now I think JakeWatch is way too involved in Stephen's marketing.
But it works both ways: Cantarabooks want to promote their book and Jake Watch want their exclusive. I doubt Britpopbaby has any illusions about that. Some people will be interested in Stephen's book because of the Jake association. Some because he is a successful Hollywood director/producer with a political & social conscience. Some will be interested for a mixture of those reasons.
Anon 4:55pm, I agree those were some of the more memorable moments from The Master! I liked it but overall I found it a bit too dry. I preferred Colm Toibin's other books - he's an amazing writer.
What's wrong with promoting a poetry collection?
And yeah, we're both getting a good deal out of this - we get to ask a respected Hollywood director and poet questions and he gets his book seen by over one million people. And I really doubt Mr Gyllenhaal is doing this for the moolah, he simply wants his poetry read.
Ok, I just had to have it said, cause nobody had said it, so...
peace!
Did I say I called my grandma who has done a lot of amateur research on relatives in our family..and YES, I am related to the Gyllenhaals! Not directly "downward", but ANYthing counts here..
Okay, that's cool.
And how distant from the Gyllenhaal's are we talking here? ;)
What I personally think is that this is: 1. a real coup for JakeWatch, 2. an olive branch from Ms Christopher (someone had complained she hadn't extended one yet), 3. a lesson in generosity and how not to bear a grudge from Pops Gyllenhaal, and 4. an illustration of how behaving with grace, class and maturity, like Brit did , brings on the best results.
Amen.
Amen.
From my own experience, book signings and one-person readings by new poets promoting their very first books are usually quite sparsely attended ... mostly by the poet's friends, former classmates and those rounded up by one's publisher. Also, poetry sales are quite miniscule. Anything that a poetry publisher can latch onto to promote a book & a poet is a blessing. I don't blame them one bit.
And I confess that what I remember most from Colm Toibin's The Master, which is a great book, was Henry James's flirtation with the young manservant.
How exciting to get Q&A with Jake's dad ... Going off to think very hard now.
After some extensive (but oh so dear) research on the matter I found that we (me and Jake) are indeed related, and actually ‘directly’, not in some made-up way :)
Here goes:
I am related to Lars Hierta (died 1642) who had the daughter Märta Hierta (died 1697) who married the very first Gyllenhaal (Nils Gyllenhaal, dead 1680 or 81).
Lars Hierta is my grandma’s granddad’s grandma’s grandma’s granddad’s dad.
Lars Hierta is Jake’s granddad’s granddad’s granddad’s granddad’s grandma’s dad.
Sweet!
Wow! You should organise a family reunion! :)
Truthfully, I like the blog best when it's snark and Jakeporn. I'm only tangentially interested in Stephen Gyllenhaal's poetry, and I think Cantara whatever is using your blog like a tool. I'd have given her a merry middle finger.
Wow, how cool is that Katie! :-)
So, Lars Hierta.... are you related to Lars Johan Hierta, the founder of Aftonbladet as well?
(Aftonbladet is a Swedish newspaper, for you non-swedes.)
Lars Hierta (father of Märta Hierta, wife of the very first Gyllenhaal) had a brother named Måns. Måns is Aftonbladets Lars Johan Hierta's granddad's granddad.
So yes, Jake is related to the founder of Aftonbladet.
Now, this is going off topic or what? I promise, I won't post anymor on this stuff...
... and neither will I!
Thanks for the info Katie.
i have sent an email to you, britpop..hope the questions were ok..I am so glad that i got this chance of sending questions for an interview..this will be my field at a certain point..literature, journalism..
That's why i love this blog, because the level of the comments is high, they are funny and smart and i enjoy reading them everytime.
When will the answers arrive? :D
Thank you very much for these activities and this great blog!
Cool beans, dalloway! I think Ms Christopher is meeting Mr Gyllenhaal on Tuesday so that's when he'll get the questions so hopefully we'll have our answers in a few weeks? Maybe sooner?
I too have sent you an e-mail britpopbaby with my question for Mr. Gyllenhaal. Hope it got to you safely. I am somewhat of a newcomer to your blog, and also a big fan of Jake's too of course!
Thanks, jan. I remember yours. I'm going to go throught them all tomorrow.
I love this blog. It's a hoot! Keep up the work. By the way, have you ever noticed that Jake looks like Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid?
^ Random, but I'll check it out!
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Katie from Sweden:
We're related! I'm a Hierta, great,great whatever granddaughter of Lars, the baron of Frammestad.
I will be your frequent visitor, that's for sure.
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